What a delightfully fun story! Gwen and Art have been betrothed since they were kids - and have been enemies since then. Finally forced to spend time together prior to their upcoming nuptials, they learn secrets about each other and decide to call a truce. Lo and behold, they come to realize that the other is not what they expected to be. A true coming of age story, you see the journey of two young adults learning to navigate the world and be true to themselves.

I loved this!
This was nothing like I have ever read before. Also, not a retelling like it seems!
The two main characters are royalty who are pledged to be married. However, they neither have any interest in each other (or the opposite sex). They do each have people they have their eyes on, so they decide to work together to get who they really want.
I highly recommend this to people who enjoyed the witty characters and writing of Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQustion or the Hulu show The Great.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for the advanced audio copy of this book!

The narrators really hit it out of the park this one. The dialogue flowed really well, and the voice actors nailed the bratty nature of Gwen and Arthur.

Listen if you like:
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ Romances
📚 YA Books
⚔️ Historical Romances
🗡️ Arthur & Guinevere Retellings
🐴 A Knights Tale
💋 First Love
2️⃣ Dual POV
💍 Arranged Marriages
😂 Humor

Overall, this wasn’t my favorite from Lex, but still very much worth a listen! The narrators did a fantastic job, and really enjoyed my listening experience with this one just as I have Lex’s other books I e listened to. She is definitely my go to for lgbtq ya romances and historical romances especially where I don’t read/listen to a lot of YA or historical books, but for some reason Lex’s writing of these has me excited every time I see this combo coming from her.

What worked for me:
- I really enjoyed the relationship growth between Art and Gwen
- I liked the lighthearted feel and humor
- The narration
- The knights tale vibes
- The references to Arthur and Guineviere but making it lgbtqia+

What didn’t work for me:
- the darker aspects of the plot just didn’t work for me and fit the vibe, especially when I wasn't expecting it where Lex hasn’t really done this before
- The ending felt lackluster
- The pacing

Overall, I did enjoy this one even with it not being my fave, but I’ll def continue to read/listen to Lex’s books! Thanks so much to the publisher for my ALC in exchange for my review!

This was a pretty cute (and sad) take on forbidden sapphic and achillean romance. I would definitely be curious to read other titles by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lex Croucher, and MacMillan for the chance to view this eARC.

This is such a well written YA novel that melds humor and great banter with political intrigue over a backdrop of societal expectations for medieval royal siblings Gwen and Gabriel. Art is probably my favorite character within the book, and his relationship with Sid is great. Although Gwen and Art are not in love romantically, watching their relationship grow within the story was also a highlight. Art exudes an attitude of nonchalance, but at every turn acts in caring and thoughtful ways. Their plan to fake date while pursuing their crushes on Lady Leclair and Gabriel is a perfect setup to cover for the actual romantic pursuits that follow.

The audiobook for this was also really well done, with the tone of both narrators perfectly encapsulating Gwen and Art’s personalities. The reason this book landed at a 4 star is the massive tonal shift at around the 70% mark. I was so taken aback and never really recovered as the action ratcheted up that I found myself delaying finishing the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Macmillan Audio for giving this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Love. Love love love. Queer rep was outstanding, and ridiculously relatable. Out and proud, closeted, still figuring things out, it’s all here. It’s hilarious, and sad, which is a recipe for success for my personal reading preferences. The dynamic between Gwen and Arthur is my favourite! Those two are hilarious together! The banter is amazing, and just keeps getting better throughout the book. That’s the kind of relationship I want to have in my life lol.
Each piece of the story came together exceptionally well, and the narrators really crushed their roles. They brought so much to each character.
A solid YA historical fiction, if you’re looking for laughs and tears, and a solid queer rep. Loved it.

4.25ish stars

I really enjoyed this YA novel. There were some funny (and cheesy) moments as well as some serious scenes, and both contributed to the effective telling of this story. I liked but didn’t always love the major characters, and that’s because they were realistic, fairly well-developed, and therefore flawed but interesting people. I didn’t mind the dual perspectives for the story (or stories), but I would have preferred that each chapter alternated its point of view consistently rather than sometimes having large chunks of multiple chapters from one perspective as I found myself losing track of the other narrative. Overall, though, this story was a good one, and I’ll probably look at buying a copy for my classroom library. I’m really loving everything that the writer creates, especially the focus on creating diverse, queer historical fiction. (I also liked the title and absolutely loved the cover design/art for the book.) I can’t wait to read the writer’s next one!

This was my first Lex Croucher book and what a trip! While the title absolutely says all you need to know from the start (Gwen and Art are, in fact, not in love), there's a whole slew of events that unravel with plenty of twists and turns that keep you wanting to read more. Narrators Alex Singh and Sarah Ovens bring our main characters Gwen and Art to life with memorable voice acting and at a speed that is easy to listen to.

Gwen has been slated to marry Art since she was born, but she has always despised him. When he comes to court and they're forced to be playmates, chaos always ensues. It's unclear who hates each other more. Now, they are entering adulthood and must start the process of uniting their families, but they still loathe each other. They also definitely fancy other people. When Art discovers a secret about Gwen's true affections and Gwen also uncovers one about Art, they decide to join forces and fake their love for each other as a cover to explore their true affections with other people.

A classic case of fake dating, but one that doesn't eventually lead to them falling in love with each other. Instead, they come to terms with their identities and become close friends throughout the process. The book explores coming of age topics as well as the exploration of one's identity and sexuality.

Altogether, this was a really fun read! Croucher does an excellent job of developing characters so that they spring to life, and brings this historical fiction, queer, almost-retelling book to life and into the modern world!

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a wonderfully funny tale of two closeted soon-to-be members of the royal court who cannot stand each other.

Gwen and Arthur, named after the famed Camelot lovers, have been betrothed since they were very young- but they also (mostly) hate each other. Arthur is handsome, but Gwen also thinks he is rude and very childish. Gwen is incredibly smart, but Arthur is tired of trying to live up to everyone’s expectations of him, including Gwen’s (and his father’s).

When the time comes for the two to begin their courtship, Arthur and his friend and protector Sid travel to England to spend a summer with Gwen and her brother Gabriel, the soon to be king of England. But when Gwen catches Arthur kissing another boy, and Arthur finds Gwen’s diary full of entries pining for another woman, the two find a way to team up to protect themselves and get what they want - other people.

Gwen, Art, Gabriel, Bridget, Sid, and Agnes are all problematic characters, and that is what makes them so real and lovable. Gwen is a straightforward, brutally honest, and scared person, which makes her snappy and sometimes rude. Art is tired of playing everyone else’s game, and at times he can seem aloof and brash. Gabriel is so scared of ruining his family name that he never thinks about what he- or the people he loves- wants. Bridget, Sid, and Agnes are all doing their best to keep their people safe, without dealing with stereotypes, bad attitudes, and unfair treatment by their royal loved ones. The growth of each of these characters is well-paced, and by the end of the book they all felt like my friends.

I read Gwen & Art as an audiobook, and I loved the narrators and their character choices. Having two different narrators for each of the protagonists as they switch POVs between chapters helps to define the characters and really bring them to life. The pace was great, the expression in both narrators’ voices was spot on, and the character work for both characters helps to round them out and make them believable and lovable.

I would recommend Gwen & Art for queer people and allies, people who love the renaissance fair, fans of classical stories reimagined, and romcom lovers.

Gwen & Art, officially the cutest book I will ever read, and I stand by that statement wholeheartedly. Nothing could have prepared me for how much I was going to LOVE this book! I am a huge historical book girlie, and this book was easily one of the best books I read in the historical YA genre. This was an unconventional retelling sort of book that had its grips so deep in me that I just couldn't put this book down!

All the characters in this book were really likeable, which was nice while reading because it really felt annoying to have to read scenes with any of the characters. They were funny, sweet, loveable, and just so preciously cute together that you can't help but falling in love with them all!

Their love stories deserve so so so so much love, because Gwen & Art deserved all the happiness in the world and they got exactly that. I am truthfully in desperate need of more of all the characters, it's never too early for a girl to dream of a sequel with more content right? This was genuinely one of the best books I've ever read and I can't wait to read more for Lex!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC!

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is the story of two people in an arranged match who do not want to get married. Set in medieval times with castles and knights and Excalibur (well, Excalibur 9), it still feels modern. And it is extremely fun. If found family is one of your favorite tropes, this book is for you, because while Gwen and Art might not be in love romantically, they do come to love each other fiercely as friends.

This book is also a wonderful coming of age story. Gwen has a crush on Bridget, the only female knight in the kingdom, but she's been denying her feelings. As she and Arthur become friends, he helps her become comfortable in her own skin and chasing after the things she wants. He even plays matchmaker for Gwen and Bridget. Meanwhile, Gwen's brother Gabriel is struggling to find live up to his future role of king, but Arthur encourages him to be true to himself. Basically, Arthur is the wonderful glue that holds this story together. He's witty and has a big heart, even though he pretends to be a terrible person. .

This was so fun! Perhaps niche but if you, like me, are mourning the end of Ren Faire season, this might help to fill the void. Jousts, messy relationships, coming out, coming of age, and a princess betrothed to a man she hates while secretly in love with a lady knight—what more could you want? Alex Singh & Sarah Ovens really bring the humor and chaos to life with their narration and audiobook is definitely the way to go for this queer medieval rom-com!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narration was so good, it kept me interested and listening the entire time (my mind can at times wander while listening).

4.5

Wow this was an adorable YA romance with multiple well written relationships. Over the course of a summer we have enemies to friends and have one of the cutest relationship (Sid and Agnes) come to life.

This was a fast paced, fun read with a fresh new look on King Author history with a new queer twist on its history. Both the main characters grew on me throughout the book because they both were a bit annoying at the beginning but side characters (Bridget, Sid, Agnes and Gabriel) were definitely my favorite people in this book.

I received the audio and digital version and the dual narrators did a fantastic job. I highly recommend the audio version.

Thank you to Net Galley Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for my review copies!

3 stars

Not for me so I DNFd around 20%.

However this was well written so 3 stars. I could see this being someone’s 5 star but that someone’s just not me.

Not my type of sub-genre and I’m a mood reader so my genres depend on my mood 😬

This was a very enjoyable story. It’s a queer story set in the middle ages about Arthur and Gwen. Yes, Arthur is a descendant from THE Arthur, and he has been betrothed to Gwen since childhood. Of course we quickly find out that Gwen has a crush on the kick-ass lady knight Bridget Leclair. And Arthur is more interested in Gwen’s brother. This book is full of drama, comedy and knights.
I listened to the audio version of this book and enjoyed it a lot. The two narrators who read it did an excellent job. The guy who read Arthurs parts was especially good. I highly recommend this book.

4.5⭐️

One of my favorite books of the year! Croucher expertly balances lighthearted moments alongside more serious and emotional discussions in this epic and touching story about finding your voice and forging your own history. Gwen, Bridget, Art, and Gabe exhibited immense growth throughout the book and were deeply relatable and mature as they navigated personal journeys while confronting political upheaval. I loved each of these characters dearly and how their strengths and attributes complemented each other so brilliantly: Bridget’s bravery and loyalty, Gwen’s empathy and hope, Art’s spontaneity and tender heart, and Gabe’s leadership and conviction.

The only reason this isn’t a full five stars is because of the pacing in the second half. The first half is a fantastic romp, but the second half is slightly wonky with the battle and the ending a bit rushed - I wanted a grander finale for these four softies. But even with the wonky pacing, I still love this story immensely and will highly recommend to everyone!

These characters exhibited such bravery in a time when duty trumped love, but they forged their own paths to create a world and version of history where they and others could celebrate love and friendship without fear and hiding. While marketed as YA, I think this story is worthwhile for adult readers to pick up as well. It’s never too late to be who you are, choose your family, and forge your own path.

The audiobook narrators did a fantastic job bringing these characters, their struggles, joy, and dreams to life.

This book was, as always from Lex Croucher, adorable. Arthur, a future lord and general and charming wastrel, is engaged to Gwendolyn, the princess of England. They have hated each other since childhood but knew that one day, they'd have to be married. Arthur's father sends him to Camelot to get to know his betrothed and within 24 hours, Gwen discovers Art kissing a boy and Art discovers that Gwen has a crush on the realm's only lady knight, Brigid Leclair. Highjinks ensue and Gwen and Art decide they'd make better friends than enemies.. Funny and sweet, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

*Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a charming charming comedy that takes place in a Medieval time centuries after King Arthur and the round table. I liked the callbacks to the story of King Arthur, the twist in Arthurian politics, how quirky the characters could be, the individual couples/romance story lines, and the overall direction of the story but I did find the romance a little underdeveloped, especially on Arthur's end, and felt like there was a little character development I was left wanting to see.

This is promoted as a quirkier YA romance and I think it really achieved that but I just feel like a slight shift in focus or pacing really could have pushed the story over the edge.

Narration wise, thee dual narration was very pleasant and fit the story well.